Communication breakdown: Culture minister Ed Vaizey has warned households which use signal amplifiers their television reception could be damaged by new mobile signals

Thousands of homes will have their TV signals interrupted by the introduction of the next generation of mobile services.

Culture Minister Ed Vaizey said an estimated 945,000 households which use signal amplifiers to boost their television reception could be affected, while another 953,000 which rely on communal aerials could have their coverage disturbed.

He revealed the scale of potential disturbance yesterday in a written parliamentary answer to Tory MP Anna Soubry.

Media regulator Ofcom is due to reveal further details about the roll-out of 4G services in the summer.

The new service will provide ultra-fast broadband to smartphones and tablet computers, enabling users to watch films in high-definition or take part in video-conferencing.

But he insisted Ofcom believes far fewer homes will have their signal interrupted by the new mobile services once they have been introduced.

The communications regulator remains confident that there are a number of ways to minimise disruption.

The Government is selling off part of the broadcast spectrum and those with Freeview living near the new mobile masts will suffer interference.

TV signals will suffer because the part of the spectrum being used for 4G is next to the band used for terrestrial digital TV services from Freeview.

Consumer group Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV) is ‘seriously alarmed’ at the prospect of two million homes possibly facing blank screens.

VLV claim the situation is ‘a major threat to the principle of universal provision in public service broadcasting’.

‘The Government is proposing various forms of assistance for homes but this will only be for a limited period of time,’ a spokesman said.

‘Householders may find - too late - that they are no longer able to switch from subscription to free-to-air television.’

VLV claim the issue is ‘all the more lamentable’ because successive governments have put licence fee funds towards ‘what was intended to be an effective and smooth transition’.

The Mail reported earlier this month that homes with Freeview based near the new masts face paying up to £200 to ensure their TV reception is not ruined.

Mobile operators have set up a £180million fund to provide affected households with filters to solve the problem.

But this scheme does not cover ‘non-standard aerial installations’ or TV sets with an indoor aerial.

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Those households will have to pay themselves.It is unclear which geographical areas will be most affected by the plans.

Mr Vaizey revealed the scale of potential disturbance yesterday (WED) in a written parliamentary answer to Tory MP Anna Soubry.Ofcom is due to reveal further details about the roll-out of 4G services this summer, Mr Vaizey added.

The new service will provide ultra-fast broadband to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers.

It will enable users to watch films in high-definition or take part in video-conferencing whilst on the move.

BBC director of policy and strategy John Tate insisted earlier this month that 4G ‘should not be allowed to interfere with people’s TV reception’.

‘We believe that sufficient money should be deducted from the 4G auction proceeds to prevent (the interference) altogether,’ he said.